Ecosystem services of wheat (Triticum aestivum) production with conventional and conservation agricultural practices in the Indo-Gangetic Plains

Abstract

Agriculture has short and long-term impacts on the environment affecting the ecosystem services. Agriculture could also have some dis-services, i.e. negative impacts on the environment. An attempt was made to quantify these services and dis-services of conventionally tilled wheat and wheat grown under zero tillage as well as with zero tillage and residue applied treatment. Net as well as green income was calculated for these treatments. The data for quantification of ecosystem services was obtained from an on-farm study conducted at Taraori village of Karnal district of Haryana, India. Economic value of the ecosystem services obtained from conventionally cultivated wheat were Rs 68381/ha while in zero tilled and residue applied wheat the value of ecosystem services was highest, i.e. Rs 75253/ha. In conventionally tilled wheat, cost of ecosystem dis-services was Rs 1072/ha, which reduced to Rs 1015/ha and Rs 1009/ha in zero tilled and zero tilled plus residue applied wheat. Green income from conventionally tilled wheat was Rs 33358/ha, which increased to Rs 52449/ha in zero tilled wheat and to Rs 53493 ha in zero tilled and residue applied wheat. The study highlighted the importance of including the ecosystem services and environmental cost in assessing the sustainability of various agricultural practices.